The Parent Trap
by UA
Summary: The Parent Trap Passions Style. : ) Starring Sheridan, Luis, Theresa, Ethan, and a whole bunch of characters new and old. UPDATED 1/8/03
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Sheridan, Luis, Theresa, Ethan, and other Passions characters are NOT mine. They belong to JER and NBC.  
  
The Parent Trap story is NOT mine, either. I'm just basing this story on what happens to be one of my favorite films (actually I LOVE both versions). Of course, there are some similarities. There are similarities in almost anything. But I believe there are enough differences, too. There's only one reason the title of the story and the movies is the same: I SUCK big time at titles. LOL!  
  
Emma, Leia, and the rest of the girls are my creations.  
  
Hope you enjoy the story!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Prologue  
  
  
  
"This is unbelievable! I can't believe it's come to this. I guess love isn't enough," he said. Rubbing his hand over his face tiredly.  
  
"What are you saying, Luis?" she asked in a broken voice. Dreading his response. Things had soured between them sometime in the past year. After the twins' birth. Her father's meddling and her struggle to blend into his lifestyle had taken so much out of them both.  
  
He couldn't face her as he answered. His voice void of emotion. Except for the tiny quiver only she could detect. "Divorce, Sher. I'm saying I want a divorce. We can't live like this anymore. We're better off apart."  
  
"Okay," she said in defeat. "If that's what you want. What you think is best. I'll call Ethan. Have him draw the papers up. And your life can go back to the way it was before." She waited for him to say something. Rush to take her in his arms and tell her no. That they'd make this work. Wouldn't give up on their love. But he didn't. She closed the door behind her and slid to the floor in tears while inside he shut his eyes and ears-- and his heart--against the sound.  
  
Sometimes love just wasn't enough.  
  
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The papers were signed, her bags were packed, and it was finally the day. The day she said goodbye. Pain tore at her heart as she nuzzled her daughter's dark curls. And kissed her. For the last time. This was the way it had to be. She couldn't stay in Harmony. Be reminded of her failure everyday.  
  
She stroked Leia's soft cheek. And stared into her bright blue eyes. Praying she'd always remember her love as she slipped the tiny, gold heart- shaped locket around her neck. A picture of her sister to wear close to her heart. With a muffled sob she handed Leia to Pilar and hugged them both. Once more. Made Theresa promise to be a good aunt to her baby.  
  
She placed her hand on his shoulder. Shaking with his own cries as he told Emma he loved her. He pulled her against him and buried his face in her neck. And they clung to each other. Not wanting to let go. "I'm sorry," they whispered. "So sorry it came to this." Her lips met his in farewell, and Luis watched as the woman he loved more than anything else in the world walked out of his life. The last time he'd see her or their daughter for eleven years. 


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
  
  
  
"Are you sure you have everything packed, Emma? You know how to get in touch with me if you need me, don't you? Just one phone call, honey, and I'm there. On the first plane to the States. I promise..."  
  
"Mom! Mom!" she said. "Calm down. I'll be fine. I'm almost twelve. I'm not a baby anymore. Besides. It's just camp. I'll be back before you know it. And you don't have to worry about the flight over there. I have Uncle Ethan," she said. Imploring him with her eyes to help her out here.  
  
Some of the worry finally left her mother's pretty blue eyes. And the tension left her face. Replaced by a beautiful smile. "That's more like it," Emma teased. Hugging her mother tightly about the neck. "Emma Crane, you're so much like your..." She paused. Biting her lip nervously. Her worried expression back.  
  
"Like who, Mom? Who am I like?" she asked curiously. Her mom's eyes darted away from hers. Then back again.  
  
"Like someone I used to know," she replied wistfully. She wanted to ask her more. Push her for the truth. But her and Uncle Ethan's flight number was announced. "Bye, baby," her mom whispered. Nearly crushing her in her embrace. She looked back one last time. To see her mom holding her palm out and closing it slowly. Bringing it to rest on her heart with a smile. Then waved goodbye.  
  
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"Penny for your thoughts," her Uncle Ethan asked later as she stared out the window. At the clouds. "Aren't they worth more than that?" she joked. Before sobering again. "I was just wondering," she said. Fingering the gold locket about her neck. "Who do I remind Mom of? And why does she get so sad when I ask questions?"  
  
"Emma," he chided. Playfully tugging a strand of her dark hair. "You're making too much of it. She was just upset about letting you go. Do you realize this is the very first time she's been apart from you? This is hard for her."  
  
"But Uncle Ethan," she huffed. "I'm not a baby." "You're HER baby," he said. Poking her in the ribs and making her giggle. The elderly lady seated beside them smiled at them benignly. "You have such an adorable niece."  
  
"He's not..." "She's not..." "We're not related." They could only laugh at the look of confusion adorning the old woman's face. "You see," Ethan began. "It's a long story," Emma continued. "Well, it's a long flight. I've got all the time in the world. All the time in the world, Dearie," she said. Patting Ethan's arm. And relaxing in her seat. All ears.  
  
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Leia Lopez-Fitzgerald watched the scenery pass them by from the window of her dad's old jeep. She chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully. She'd been so excited about camp for weeks now. But now...now she was a little nervous. Her dad had been acting strange lately.  
  
"Dad?" she asked. Twirling the gold necklace about her neck around her finger. He looked at her curiously out of the corner of his dark brown eyes. "Hmm? What is it, Leia?" he asked with an absent-minded smile. "Are you sure you're going to be okay without me? I mean, 8 weeks is kind of a long time," she rambled.  
  
He grinned to himself. She reminded him so much of her mother sometimes. Her gestures. And all those new facets of her personality he was thrilled to discover on a daily basis. Leia watched her father intently and wondered what made the smile on his face fade. But the smile was back when he turned to face her again. "Little too late for this discussion, don't you think, Lulu?" "Aww, Dad. Do you have to keep calling me that? You know I don't like it."  
  
"Come on, Leia," he teased. Taking the keys out of the ignition. "You know you love it. See? You're smiling already." She bit her lip to the point of pain. Desperately trying to hide the traitorous smile that threatened to take over her entire face. It didn't work. It never worked. One giggle escaped. Followed by another. And she was helpless to stop it.  
  
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"Bye, Dad!" she waved. "I love you!" Smiling brightly as he held his hand in front of him, slowly closing it, and bringing it to his chest. Right above his heart. She did the same. It was the way they said goodbye. Always. For as long as she could remember.  
  
"That your dad?" a girl beside her asked. "Yeah," she answered proudly. She already missed him. "He's hot," she gushed. Earning an incredulous look from Leia. People were always saying that to her. He was her dad. "Hi," the girl with blond pigtails said, "my name's Kelly. This," she said. Pointing to the curly redhead beside her, "is Annie. Oops! I mean, Anne," she corrected as the other girl elbowed her in the ribs. Then shyly said, "Hi." Leia bit her lip to keep from laughing. She knew she was going to like it here.  
  
"Oh man," Kelly whistled. "Would you look at that?" she exclaimed. Leia's eyes landed on the limosine, and she scowled. "I wonder who that is," Anne said quietly. Leia shrugged her shoulders, and Kelly said, "Probably some spoiled little princess who's never set foot in the Great Outdoors. Hey," she called after Leia's retreating form. "Where you going? Don't you want to see who it is?" she called. Running after her. Leaving Anne in the dust. Anne's big blue eyes widened in shock, and she shook her head. Sure she was seeing double. "You guys...wait for me!" 


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
  
  
"I cannot believe you live in Paris," the tiny brunette nipping at her heels twittered. "That is like SO cool," Tiffany chattered. Twirling a brown curl around her finger and pausing for only a second before bubbling on. Josie pushed her glasses back further on her nose and leaned in close to Emma's ear and whispered. "She reminds me of my stepmother's toy poodle Zsa Zsa," she deadpanned. Emma raised a hand to her mouth. Trying desperately to stifle her giggles. Failing horribly when Tiffany joined in their laughter. COMPLETELY clueless.  
  
"Ugh! What is that stuff?" Emma said. Turning her nose up at the mysterious blob on her plate as they looked for a table. "Better not to ask questions," Josie said. Taking a seat by the window. "Where's Tiffany?" Emma asked curiously. "Here I am," Tiffany called. Plopping down in the seat beside her. Emma's eyes were drawn to the gigantic orange spot on Tiffany's white camp tee. Josie just shook her head and mouthed "KLUTZ".  
  
"Ouch!" Emma exclaimed rubbing her head. "Somebody threw something at me!" she said. Turning around in her seat. Blue eyes flashing fire. Tiffany looked at her with wide hazel eyes. "You've never eaten in a lunchroom before, have you? The kids at my school throw stuff at me all the time," she said. "Hey, look," she grinned. "It was a biscuit," she said. Picking the rock-hard item out of Josie's plate and putting it into hers. "Tell me you aren't going to eat that," Emma gagged. "Yeah," Tiffany replied. Mouth full. "So what? It's not like it fell in the floor or anything."  
  
Josie grinned knowingly as Emma's olive complexion paled. And twirled her finger around her head. Emma smiled and looked down at her plate. Oh well, she sighed. At least it wasn't her mom's cooking. She felt a wave of homesickness wash over her as she thought about all the times her uncle Ethan had teased her mom about her seriously lacking qualities in the kitchen. She decided then and there she was going to write her mom a letter as soon as they got back to their cabin.  
  
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Anne blinked her blue eyes in disbelief. There she was. The same girl from yesterday. Leia's double. Her mind raced with the possibilities. Then she gulped as a thought hit her. What if the girl was Leia's long-lost evil twin? She scurried off after Kelly and Leia. Suddenly afraid the girl she'd been staring at for the last 2 minutes was going to get up from her seat and chase her. Maybe even...it was too horrible to think about.  
  
"Anne? What's wrong?" Leia asked. Concern in her blue eyes. "She's probably afraid the gunk on her plate is going to start moving. Have you guys ever seen the Blob?" Kelly asked. Shuddering as she washed down her food with a huge swig of milk. Leia laughed. She and her dad had watched that once. With her aunt Theresa. She thought it was the silliest thing, but her aunt Theresa was scared out of her wits. She worried about her sometimes.  
  
"So...what are we going to do next?" she asked. Picking at the questionable concoction on her tray. Oh what she wouldn't give for some of her grandmother's cooking. Her mouth watered just thinking about it. She wrinkled her nose in disgust and pushed the plate away. And engaged in one of her favorite pastimes. People watching. She loved making up wild stories about their lives. Her dad would always get this wistful smile on his face. Like she reminded him of someone. She wondered if she made him think of her mother.  
  
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"Lo-Fitz? Hey Leia? Where'd you go, girl?" Kelly asked with a grin. "Hold on. I bet I can guess. Thinking about your to-die-for Dad. I'm telling you. He's a major..." "I know. You already told me," Leia said. Holding her hands up to her ears. "Am I going to have to listen to this the whole 8 weeks?" Kelly giggled and rose from her seat. Carrying her tray to empty it in the garbage. "Let's make a deal. You have any extra pictures of your dad?" "Why?" Emma asked in confusion. Anne rolled her eyes and followed them. Her mouth dropping open when Leia and the 'evil twin' came thisclose to crashing into each other. She released the breath she was holding in relief when disaster was averted. For the time being. As Leia stepped out of the other girl's path. She hurried away when the girl following closely on the 'evil twin's' heels tripped and the people in front of her toppled like dominoes. "Tiffany!" 


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
  
  
"Emma," Tiffany whined. "Why can't we go swimming? I'm terrible at basketball," she pouted. "I never make any touchdowns." "Touchdowns?" Emma mouthed to Josie. Josie rolled her eyes. Emma wiped the tears from her eyes. "Now my stomach aches." Tiffany stared at the big orange ball in her hands. "What do I do with it?" "Hey Tiff," Josie suggested. "Why don't you go get a popsicle? It IS awfully hot out here." Tiffany's hazel eyes brightened immediately. "Okay," she grinned. The basketball bounced at her feet. "What planet do you think she lives on? I think even Martians know how to play basketball," Josie joked. Dribbling the ball and passing it to Emma. Emma raised her hands and the ball sunk in the hoop with a whoosh. "Wow! Pretty good for a Princess." Emma's blue eyes twinkled. "For the last time.I'm not a Princess," she laughed. "And I learned it all from my mom. She's awesome."  
  
"Your mom sounds great. My mom wouldn't touch a basketball. 'No! Josie! I'll break a nail!'" Emma giggled. "Mom's not like that at all. My mom's cool," she teased. Stealing the ball from Josie. "Emma Crane! You sneak!" Josie's glasses fogged up. "That was so not fair. I can't see a thing. Time out." Emma rested the basketball on her hip as Josie wiped her glasses off. "Ready to play some more?" "Not right now. Can we talk some more?" "Sure," Emma smiled. "What do you want to talk about?" "You're always saying these great things about your mom. What about your dad?"  
  
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Anne groaned as her knees hit the ground again. "I can't.I can't.breathe," she gasped. Kelly rested her hands on her knees. "Jeez, Leia. What are you? Some pro-basketball player in a little kid's body?" Leia grinned at them both. "Who? Me? And I thought I was a bit rusty." "Rusty," Kelly muttered around the scrunchie in her teeth. "I'd hate to see you in shape." "Yeah, Leia. You're already killing me," Anne wheezed. Her blue eyes twinkled when she saw the tiny brunette skipping along with an orange push-up pop. "Hey! Where'd you get that?" Tiffany looked behind her. "Over here," Anne called.  
  
Tiffany tripped over a loose rock, and Anne, Leia, and Kelly closed their eyes. Not wanting to see what happened next. "You talking to me?" Tiffany asked. Leia watched. Fascinated as she managed to smear even more of the push-up on her face. Kelly raised a brow at her. "You're the one with the ice cream, aren't you?" Leia teased. Tiffany's face broke out into a wide grin. "Um.yeah. That's me," she answered. Slurping the dripping goo off her fingers. "Emma," she said in a puzzled voice. "Where's Josie?"  
  
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"Tiffany! There you are!"  
  
Tiffany's tousled brown head whipped around. And Leia was sure her hazel eyes were going to pop out of her head. "Em.Emma," she stammered. "You're." The orange push-up slipped from her sticky fingers and slid down her white camp tee-shirt. "Yuck," Kelly shuddered. "dropping it," Leia muttered. "Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! It's you! The evil twin!" "What evil twin?" "Annie," Kelly grumbled. Rapping her knuckles against Anne's curly red head. "Did you lose a few of your marbles last night in your sleep?"  
  
"NO! It's you. I mean.it's her! You! I mean her! The evil twin!" Tiffany could only nod her head. "They really do let EVERYONE in this place, don't they?" Josie rolled her eyes. "Even escaped loony bin patients." "You look just like her," Tiffany whispered in awe. "Emma. Look. She looks just like you. Turn around." Leia's blue eyes studied her calmly. "I think Anne's met her alter ego," Kelly hissed. "Do it, Leia," Anne advised. Pale with fear. The evil twin!  
  
"Okay. If it'll make you happy," Leia grinned. Blue eyes twinkling. What could it hurt? She turned around slowly. Tiffany and Anne stared at each other with open mouths. "Oh my god," Josie said in awe. "Oh my." Leia stretched a shaky hand out to the girl in front of her. She might as well have been.her twin! "You look." ".just like me," Emma finished.  
  
"I knew it," Anne whispered. "I knew it." She turned to Tiffany. "Run for your life. It's the evil twin." 


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
  
  
"Ow!" Tiffany yelped in pain. Fat tears spilling out of her hazel eyes. "You're not very.light on your feet.are you?" Anne muttered. Pulling on Tiffany's arm to help her up. "Why are we running anyway?" Tiffany winced at the stinging sensation, and Anne glanced down at her skinned knee. "I told you. She," she pointed at Emma, "is the evil twin." "Who? Emma? Emma's no evil twin," Tiffany huffed. Hobbling back over to the action. Anne followed her reluctantly.  
  
"Wow!" Emma breathed. "It's amazing." "What?" Leia rolled her blue eyes. Her arms crossed about her chest. "Don't you see it?" Emma asked. Leia ignored her question and said, "You're that little rich girl everybody's been talking about, aren't you? The one that came to camp in a limosine." Emma's blue eyes narrowed at the snideness in the other girl's tone. She hated limosines. But she wasn't going to let this.rude girl.know that! "So?" she said snottily. Crossing HER arms about her chest in a twin gesture. Josie removed her glasses and replaced them atop the bride of her nose to be certain she was seeing what she was seeing. Kelly twisted one long blond pigtail around her finger in disbelief. This was so cool! They looked EXACTLY alike. Especially right now.  
  
"Why'd you even come to camp?" Leia inquired. "Did you and your nanny run out of fashion boutiques to tour?" "Not that it's any of your business," Emma glared, "but I don't have a nanny. And I don't particularly like fashion boutiques. In fact, I hate them. Almost as much as I hate shopping. But not nearly as much as I hate rude, ignorant people." "Are you calling me stupid?" Leia said angrily. Blue eyes shooting such daggers at the girl in front of her that Anne and Tiffany shrank back in fear. Emma rolled her eyes. "There's a difference between ignorance and stupidity. I guess if you were smart, you'd realize that." "Go Emma," Josie cheered. "You tell her." "Hey," Kelly piped up. "You better watch what you're saying." "What are they fighting about?" Tiffany asked cluelessly. Anne answered back just as cluelessly. "I don't know."  
  
"I bet you've cried for your butler every night," Leia continued. "Good one, Lo-Fitz!" Kelly snickered. "Charles," Leia whined, "Charles.bring me a hot fudge sundae. Charles, you didn't pick me the best cherry. Charles, you." "Who's Charles?" Tiffany asked dumbfounded. Anne's blue eyes studied the brunette beside her. Just where were those holes? It was obvious Tiffany was a bona-fide airhead. Emma fumed silently. Who did this girl think she was? "Actually," she said sweetly. "I've never met a real, live butler before. I don't have any servants, I do all my chores by myself, and I'm just an ordinary girl. Not much different from you really." "Give or take $10 million," Leia shot back. Picking up the basketball at her feet and dribbling it from hand to hand.  
  
Josie pulled Emma aside. Peeking over her shoulder suspiciously at Leia. "I bet I know a way you can prove to her you aren't a spoiled princess." Emma perked up. All ears. "I'm waiting," she grinned wickedly. "Challenge her to a game of basketball." Emma's brows shot up. "Basketball? That's supposed to show her I'm normal?" "Yeah," Josie rolled her blue eyes behind her wire frames. "Once you whip her silly up and down this court, Ms. High and Mighty will shut up for good." The idea sounded extremely appealing, Emma realized. She hated it when people that didn't know her judged her. "How is that going to show her I'm not a spoiled princess, though?" "Well," Josie shrugged her shoulders. "How many rich people from Beverly Hills or Paris or London do you see playing basketball everyday?" Emma giggled at the thought of Prince Charles all decked out in a basketball uniform. "Okay," she smiled. Her blue eyes lighting up at the prospect. "I love it."  
  
"I bet you're a really good basketball player," Josie smiled. Nodding at the orange globe in Leia's hands. "Only the best I've ever seen," Kelly bragged. "She IS really good," Anne told Tiffany. "Not better than Emma," Tiffany told her with wide hazel eyes. "Emma's so good I almost cried. So many touchdowns," Tiffany said seriously. Anne giggled helplessly. "Touchdowns? Don't you mean goals?" Tiffany's brow furrowed. "I thought goals were what that made in baseball." Anne threw her arms up over her curly red head. "Points then! They're all points!" "Yeah," Tiffany agreed with a goofy smile. "What about a little game of one on one?" Emma proposed. "That is.unless you're afraid a spoiled wittle prwincess wike wittle ole me is going to beat the socks off you." "Bring it on," Leia tossed the basketball at her. "I'm such a nice person I'll even let you go first."  
  
"Uh oh," Tiffany shook her head. "Bad decision." "Hey, Tiff," Josie joined them. "What are you doing hanging out with the enemy?" "The enemy? Who? Me?" Anne pointed to herself. "Yeah, Annie," Kelly grabbed Anne's arm and pulled her to the opposite side of the court. "What are you doing talking to her?" Tiffany looked across the way at Anne sadly. "She was nice," she whined to Josie. "So what?" Josie shrugged her shoulders. "We're sworn enemies. And if I ever see you talking to her again, I'll hide all your candy. Better yet.I'll feed it to the squirrels." Tiffany looked at her with horrified hazel eyes. Mouth open. "You wouldn't." "Try me," Josie smirked. Tiffany vowed that Bullwinkle was never going to get his grubby little hands on her Butterfingers. Wait.which one was Bullwinkle and which one was Rocky?  
  
  
  
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It didn't matter. Emma didn't exactly beat the socks off of Leia. But she DID win. By one touchdown. Er.point. Leia was madder than ever. They celebrated with a swim in the lake. Just what she'd been waiting for all day anyway. And Josie didn't hide her candy. 'Cause she hid it from her first. Good thing, too. Half the girls in the entire camp dropped by that evening to congratulate Emma. For the first time ever.she was one of the most popular girls around! Camp was great, excellent, wonderful, glorious, SO much fun! Josie told her she shouldn't write letters like that to her parents. They'd think she was smoking crack or something. Emma just giggled and threw an arm around her shoulders. She knew she liked her better. =) 


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
  
  
The next few weeks were.Anne didn't have the words to describe them. The best word she could think of was.WAR. All out WAR as Emma and Leia tried to one-up each other. Anne learned all sorts of cool things about her camp buddy. Leia knew how to speak Spanish! But Emma had her beat on that count, too. Emma amazed them all by answering Leia. In Spanish, of course. Singing in French. She knew some German. And she knew how to sign her name in Chinese! Anne still couldn't figure that one out. But oh well.she had a tough time figuring a lot of things out.  
  
Emma was terrible at softball. She refused to compete in the spitting contest (Anne didn't blame her there.Leia even grossed out Kelly with that one-joys of growing up with a bachelor dad and spending so much time with his buds). Each may have won SOME battles, but neither could take the WAR. That's why they were currently creeping around outside in full-fledged camo. Her, Kelly, AND Leia. Cabin inspection was tomorrow. And the Eagles.well, the Eagles were going to fail. With flying colors.  
  
Anne winced as Kelly yanked her down to her knees behind the nearest shrub. "What was that for?" she grumbled. She had a million tiny rocks embedded in her knees. All thanks to. "Did you hear that?" Kelly hissed. Her face bathed in the blue light of the moon. "What?" Leia asked. All three girls strained their ears to hear the noise. "I don't hear a thing. Not one single thing," Anne huffed. "Come on. Do we have to do this? We're going to get in so much trouble, you guys. What if we get kicked out of camp? I don't want to go home," she whined. "Me, neither," Kelly admitted. Pulling at her braided blond pigtail nervously. "Leia.I don't like looking like a football player either," she griped. Pointing to the black streaks across her cheeks and nose. "Was this really necessary?"  
  
Leia set her load of supplies down and planted her hands on her hips. "Do you really want that spoiled little princess and her little friends to.I thought I could count on you guys," she said. Pulling out the big guns. The pout that was eerily similar to one Ms. Emma Crane's most dangerous weapon. "Okay," Kelly sighed. "Are you in Anne?" Leia asked expectantly. Anne ran her finger across the bowl of chocolate syrup in her arms. This couldn't be **that** bad. Could it? It included chocolate. Her most favorite food in the entire world. "I'm in," she smiled timidly.  
  
Kelly kept snickering as they tiptoed up the cabin steps. "Kelly," Leia chastised. "I can't help it," Kelly grinned. Her white teeth gleaming in the darkness. "This is the coolest thing I've EVER done. This camp ROCKS!" "If you ask me, it's over." Anne quickly shut up at Kelly's warning glare, and Leia's finger to her lips. They ALL held their breath as the screen door creaked open. "Mom," a plaintive voice mumbled in the corner. "There's not even a McDonalds." "Is she." Anne asked with wide blue eyes as they crept across the room to stand over Tiffany's prone form. "Nah," Leia grinned. Her blue eyes twinkling. "She's sound asleep," Kelly whispered. Swiping the feather in her hand back and forth on Tiffany's upper lip. Tiffany's nose wrinkled up, and she mumbled something else unintelligible in her sleep. "You guys," Anne tugged on Kelly's arm. "She's fixin' to." Kelly, Anne, and Leia hit the ground as Tiffany sneezed the sneeze to end all sneezes. And promptly fell off the bed.  
  
It took them ten full minutes to get brave enough to make another move. Kelly scampered across the room to Josie's bed. She picked the thin wire frames from the bedside table and started her own artistic masterpiece. She coated the lenses in honey and stuck M&M's and Skittles all over them. She didn't feel guilty at all. After all.what girl out there didn't wish to have different colored eyes? And Josie's eyes were definitely going to be a different color. A lot of different colors. She glanced over at Leia. Planting water balloons above each door. Only some of the balloons didn't have water in them. Kool-Aid should sell stock to camps nationwide. Behind her, Tiffany was still sprawled out across the wooden floor. With twizzlers sticking out of her nostrils and a pretty good imitation of a police chalking drawn around the silhouette of her body. Man was she going to freak in the morning!  
  
Leia painstakingly made Emma's face up. Emma Crane wouldn't have to wonder what she would look like if she were a man in the morning.she'd KNOW. Anne drizzled chocolate syrup over every inch of the floor. Stopping here and there to swipe a few licks. Duh! And when she ran out, she substituted honey. Kelly shook up the can of silly string in her hands and went absolutely crazy with it. It was a good thing she remembered to leave an escape route. One that they were going to erase as soon as they were home- free. She snickered as she caught sight of Anne sticking gigantic marshmallows on each and every one of Tiffany's toes, but then her laughter died down.that was kind of.icky. Kelly pulled the can of shaving cream out of their bag of 'supplies' and did a much better job than ANY plastic surgeon would have on Josie. Leia's mouth hung open as the blond always ready with a smart comment gradually disappeared under the white mound. The other two girls helped Leia write SPOILED on Emma's forehead. BRAT (Princess was too long) across her chin. They finished booby-trapping the entire cabin. Disappearing into the night. Their giggles hushed but merry as they slipped into their own cabin and their own beds. Visions of victory filling their dreams. 


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
  
  
  
  
Emma moaned in protest at the first sounding of the trumpet. Great. The morning wake-up call. Worse than any alarm clock. She flopped an arm out gracelessly, searching for SOMETHING to hit to make the awful noise stop. "THAT's not going to work, Emma," she mumbled sleepily. Rubbing her eyes with her fists. "Just not gonna. Today's…oh.my.god! Josie! Tiffany! Get up! Wake up! Today's cabin inspection!" she shot straight up in her bed. "It's cabin inspection," she said frantically as she shoved off the bed. "E—yuck! What is that?" she cringed when she felt something thick and sticky oozing between her toes. Her blue eyes went wide with horror as she got her first GOOD look at the cabin.  
  
Silly string, chocolate sauce, honey, shaving cream—she bit back a scream when a hand popped through the white mound on the bed beside her, and oh goodness, she thought when Tiffany blinked her hazel eyes open with a soft moan. She blinked once, twice, three times before her eyes shot wide open and crossed looking at the twizzlers sticking out of her nose. "Emma?" she asked in a panicked little voice. "Oh no! Emma! I should have listened to my mom! She always told me 'you are what you eat.' Emma!" she shrieked. "My toes turned to marshmallows! What am I going to do?" When she spotted the chalky line surrounding her body, she screamed hysterically. "I'm dead! I'm dead!"  
  
"Shut up, Tiffany!" Josie shouted as she fumbled blindly for her glasses. "Oh no, Emma. Something terrible's happened," she gasped. "I'm blind!" "No, you're not," Emma rolled her eyes. Slipping and sliding to Josie's bedside and plucking the candy-coated glasses off her nose. Josie squinted and growled. "They ruined my glasses. They are SO dead. Emma?" she grabbed on to her. "What's that on your forehead?" "I'm dead! I'm dead!" Tiffany continued to scream in the background. Emma ducked and dodged falling water and Kool-Aid-filled balloons as she practically skated to the mirror across the room. Spoiled Brat. SPOILED BRAT?!?! Her scream bounced off the walls of the small cabin, finally breaking Tiffany free from her state of shock. "LEIA LOPEZ-FITZGERALD!"  
  
"You called?" a smug voice asked. Peeking through the screened windows in front, and Josie had to physically restrain Emma from barreling toward the door. "I'm dead! I'm dead!" Tiffany began to yell again. Bringing the camp counselors running. Kelly snickered beside Leia as the bold little brunette placed her hands on her hips and spoke to her nemesis. "What's the matter, Princess? Don't like your present? Not ready to admit defeat yet?" "What is the meaning of this?" H.H. (abbreviation for Head Honcho, Josie surmised) Mills demanded an explanation. Her hand poised to yank the door open. "Ms. Mills," Anne pleaded timidly. "I don't think…" The door was flung open before she could finish the thought. "…you should go in there," she muttered as the bucket poised above the front door tipped, and she was talking slow-mo, and black ink rained down on the Big Cheese's upturned face. A blond brow was barely visibly beneath the yucky stuff as it raised in the most threatening manner either Emma or Leia had ever seen. "YOU," she grabbed Emma forcibly by the arm, "and YOU," she caught Leia by the tail of her camp tee, "are coming with me," she growled. "Somebody shut her up," she tossed her head at Tiffany who continued to bemoan the fact that she was 'dead.' Josie plucked a marshmallow from Tiffany's big toe and shoved it into her mouth, and Kelly clamped a hand over her mouth as she clattered down the cabin steps. "GROSS!"  
  
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Emma crossed her arms about her middle, snubbed her nose high up in the air, and stomped over to HER side of the cabin. The isolation cabin! Leia huffed and puffed as she threw her bulging case onto the musty-smelling bed spread on HER side. Emma stuck her tongue out at Leia when she caught her glimpsing in her direction. "Do you have a staring problem or what? What's your problem? I don't know WHY you're mad at ME. I didn't do anything. This is ALL your fault." "Yeah, right," Leia rolled her blue eyes back at her. "All MY fault? If you hadn't been such a stuck-up snob in the first place…" "Me? I'm the stuck-up snob? Get your facts straight. You must have burned so many of your limited I.Q. points trying to remember how to spell this," she jabbed a finger at her still painted forehead, "correctly."  
  
"Correctly," Leia snorted. "Do you hear yourself? Who talks like that? Snobs," she muttered. "And I didn't burn any of my I.Q. points, thank you very much. And I happen to think it's a masterpiece. It did wonders for your look," she shot back. "HEY!" she stomped across the room with a menacing scowl stamped across her face when the back of her dark head was introduced to Emma's rock-hard pillow. "Did that knock some sense into your hard head?" Emma rapped her knuckles against Leia's dark crown. "Watch it, Crane," Leia warned. "Oh, I'm SO scared," Emma pretended to cower. "Back off, Lopez-Fitzgerald," she said. Blue eyes flashing. "Ugh!" Leia threw her hands up in the air and whirled on her heel. "Hmph," Emma grinned, white teeth gleaming. Until her rock-hard pillow and her face got reintroduced. "You don't mess with Leia Lo-Fitz," Leia jeered. "Just you wait," Emma promised. "You have to fall asleep sometime." "Go ahead," Leia snarled. "Make my day." Emma rolled her blue eyes at her before throwing herself on her mattress.  
  
"Mother…do you really think this is wise? They're going to kill each other before the rest of the month is up." "Nonsense, dear," the older woman shook her head as she carefully descended the steps and hurried through the worn trail leading to the main camp. "They're sisters. It's a love/hate relationship. You'll see." The daughter stood. Dumbfounded. "But Mother…they're not…" "Susan, dear. Please do hurry up before it starts pouring, or you're going to get soaked." Susan glanced back at the isolation cabin one last time, knowing it might be the last time Emma Crane or Leia Lopez-Fitzgerald were seen. ALIVE. Those two were going to kill each other. She was sure of it. "Susan! Hurry!" Almost 100% positive.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sorry for the boring chapter. What can I say? Some chapters are better than others. : ) 


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
  
  
Emma and Leia didn't kill each other in the following weeks, but they did find every imaginable way to make each other miserable. Thanks to the help of friends, of course. Leia couldn't wait to catch a stolen moment with Anne and Kelly, most of the time at the showers or when they were dumping their trays at lunch, and get the lowdown on their devious plans to make Emma go wild. Josie wrote long, detailed letters telling Emma exactly how to put Leia in her place, sneaking them to her in a hidden cubbyhole not far from the lake. Tiffany lamented over the fact that without Emma she had no one to save her candy bars-Josie had effectively put her on a diet. She was sure she saw a huge squirrel outside their cabin window several times munching on her Butterfingers, Snickers, and Twix. And the worst thing.the squirrel visited her nightmares, laughing and pointing at her. She wanted Emma back.  
  
And Emma wanted Tiffany back. And Josie. Living in the isolation cabin with Leia was a total nightmare. Two days into the ordeal, Leia had taken a stub of purple chalk and drawn a line down the middle of the cabin, dividing it into halves. Unfortunately, the bathroom happened to be on BOTH sides. World Wars III, IV, and V had already been fought there, and Emma saw WWVI looming. Yesterday the skies had been gloomy. Sometime in the middle of the night, God must have pulled the plug, and endless sheets of water drenched the camp. Lunch would be nice. If she had a rowboat. Instead she was stuck. Stuck in a tiny cabin with a girl who hated her guts and was doing her best to ignore her. Emma tried writing a letter to her mom, but the scratching of her pencil obviously ANNOYED Ms. 'I Have a Chip on My Shoulder.' "Sorry," Emma muttered insincerely, rolling her blue eyes at Leia's back. She lay the pencil down and pushed the notepad away, deciding instead to do some decorating. Mom had sent the most wonderful pictures yesterday!  
  
Emma bit her lip to contain the grin that threatened to steal over her face. Leia tried to pretend she wasn't looking, but Emma saw her. "All you have to do is ask." she finally said. The look of astonishment on Leia's face was so funny Emma wished she'd had Mom's camera to document it and preserve it for posterity. Leia huffed and turned her back on her again, pretending to stare out the window. Emma rolled her blue eyes at the girl's stubbornness and returned to her unfolding work of art. Thank goodness Mom put numbers on the back of the pictures so she could tell which one went where. Emma sighed as the panoramic view of Costa Marbella started to take shape. It was so beautiful. Every summer she and her mom spent two weeks in Spain, and they traveled all over the country to their hearts' desire, saving the best for last. Her mom always cried when they left, and Emma always comforted her. The tears vanished completely by the time they made it home to Paris, and Emma wouldn't see her mom cry again for another 365 days. Emma hated to see her mom cry more than anything.  
  
Leia studied the pictures curiously, awed by the beauty slowly revealing itself to her piece by piece. She was so captivated by the sight in front of her that she didn't notice Emma's shining blue eyes watching her right away. She jumped, startled, when she heard Emma's proud voice over the steady drum of raindrops against the rooftop, and she didn't have time to cover up her interest with a cleverly sarcastic word. "My mom took them. Last summer when we were Spain. It's beautiful, isn't it? It's where my mom and dad spent the last night of their honeymoon." Leia gathered her legs close to her body and propped her chin on her knees. "My parents spent their honeymoon in Spain too," she divulged with a small smile, her blue eyes turning liquid when she imagined the wistful tone of her dad's voice when he talked about her mother. "Really?" Emma asked, hesitating at the purple line separating the cabin into two sides. "Really," Leia answered, "He watches his Spain slides all the time. There's one.it's his favorite.actually, it looks like your pictures." Emma grinned and lunged forward excitedly, the Great Divide forgotten as she bounced onto the bed beside Leia. "Costa Marbella is gorgeous! It's my mom's favorite spot in all of Spain." "How weird," Leia commented. "You said your mom took those pictures. Is she a professional photographer?"  
  
"She's a freelance photographer," Emma said. "She doesn't do it for the money. She just loves to take pictures. I have some more. Do you want to see them?" Leia nodded, quite astonished to discover she was actually smiling. At Emma Crane! Leia took the small photo album Emma offered her and burst into giggles at the first photo. Emma leaned forward, identical giddy laughter escaping her lips. "That's my uncle Ethan. That's the year he had to wear the big Oscar Meyer weenie suit because he waited 'til the last minute to get his costume for Halloween. My mom had it blown up poster-size and sent it to him for his birthday." Leia giggled helplessly, "Your mom sounds pretty cool." "Only the coolest," Emma boasted. "What about your dad?" Leia wondered as she flipped through the album. "My mom and dad divorced when I was a baby. I don't really know him. It's weird, but I remember feeling really safe when he held me. Like he loved me more than anything. Guess I was wrong." "Divorce sucks," Leia agreed, looking up from the album to give Emma a sympathetic look. "My mom left when I was a baby too. I don't remember much about her, but she sang me this song every night before I went to sleep. And her perfume.I've smelled hundreds of perfumes, but I've never found hers. She smelled lovely. She was so beautiful too." Emma sighed. Leia's words made her think of her mom. She didn't think she could miss her more if she tried. "Hey! I got a picture of my dad if you want to see what he looks like," Leia announced suddenly, leaning over and sweeping a hand underneath the small twin bed. Emma gasped, fingering her own locket, when she saw the thin chain hang from Leia's neck and the small gold heart-shaped locket attached. "You have a locket just like mine."  
  
Leia looked at her oddly and shrugged her shoulders, tucking the locket back beneath her tee-shirt. "So? There's probably millions of these lockets in the world." "I suppose," Emma whispered, arranging her legs Indian style on the bed and watching as Leia dug through the shoe box of odds and ends in her lap. Emma picked up a discarded birthday card with flamboyant handwriting on the front and opened it slowly. "Oh that," Leia smirked. "My aunt Theresa's pretty creative. She gave me that card last year to launch her new greeting card business. That bright idea only lasted two months. She gets bored real easy." Emma looked up at Leia with wide, incredulous blue eyes, "Leia.we have the same birthday." "What? Are you kidding?" Leia scoffed, snatching the card from Emma's hands and tucking it back in her box. "It's just a weird coincidence. You were born in Paris. I was born in a little town in Maine. You probably never heard of it." "Harmony?" Emma asked anxiously. "Yes, Harmony.WHOA! How did you know.Stop it! You're giving me goosebumps!" Leia cried, jerking her arm back when Emma stretched her own arm out, covered in goosebumps as well. "You know what this means, don't you?" Emma persisted, a look in her blue eyes so like Leia's dad at that moment that she was seriously getting creeped out. "We've been food poisoned? And there were like psychodelic drugs in that chunky stuff called soup last night?" Emma ignored her, launching herself off the edge of the bed toward her own side of the room. Leia hugged her arms around herself as Emma started to voice all the odd coincidences. "We look EXACTLY alike.your mom left you when you a baby.my dad left me.we're wearing identical lockets.our parents honeymooned in Spain. Costa Marbella is their favorite spot.we both kick butt in basketball.we were born on the SAME day in the SAME little town in Maine.you get goosebumps, I get goosebumps," Emma whispered as she crossed the room with a photograph clasped tightly to her chest, its jagged edges making Leia's heart beat faster inside her chest as she fingered the identical jagged edges of the photograph tucked against her chest. Leia felt tears sting her blue eyes as Emma slowly held out her half of the picture, and she laid eyes on the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. "Forever Mine," Emma said softly, smiling through her own tears, "Her perfume. That's the name of our mother's perfume. Leia.we're sisters." 


End file.
